Rips is one of those venues that gets down and dirty. With a corner stage and a comfy couch lined VIP section/DJ booth, the presence of the artists on stage is one that can be communicated with energetic fervor and ample movement. Room enough for drums and rough housing strings, stage presence is everything when playing for a group of people. The technicalities of the musical build can be perfect, however if you don’t get your crowd moving you might as well sit back and play a CD. That being said, I will get to the bands.
The first band that went on was Among Citizens. A hard rock band with a smashing drummer, they play an even set with songs that seemingly have no imaginative fluctuation. My first impression was that the bass was a bit elementary, standard bassist styling. It was not until toward the end of the set that his bassing flair was displayed. Vocals… vocals were smooth with a very able voice box, however as mentioned above the influx of song diversity lacked. The voice reminded me of a mix between Creed and Disturbed. Enjoyable, but at the same time I would like to see some more fluctuation of both the vocals and bass. The guitar as a counter argument for the band definitely presented a rock talent that gave the set its own left foot to stand on.
Flinging the sticks behind the two other members, the drummer knew how to handle his power. Fierce and with a display of twirling sticks, attention was drawn right past the first two to his corner of the stage. This brought the standing band up on two feet. For stage presence, I was disappointed to see that for the majority of the set was rather non-eventful. At the end was when I saw the excitement burst forth from the band as more stage movement and interaction was introduced. As I was unable to find anything online about them, I am assuming they are a fairly new entity and demonstrate talent and a love for what they do. So, despite my rough opinion of them, I will definitely be following them into the future… Keep playing, creating and sharing, men of Among Citizens. I am looking forward to seeing you in the future and hearing new work!
The second band that took over Rips that night was Dirty Hairy. I won’t say much about these hyper active kids as I have already given you, my readers, my ever excited opinion of them, but I do have to say the more I see them the more they impress me with their energy and ability to create a show stuffed with stage antics and sarcastic party favors. This week in addition to condoms and Dirty Hairy stamped ping pong balls, they added pregnancy tests to their littering of Rips. As if their music was that of a romantic styling that promotes intimacy and love making… For a girl such as myself, the excitement of their shows gives such a passion and exhilaration that simply riles one up into a fury of energetic jumping and mashing. You never seem to fail me, guys. Oh, and to give you an example of their onstage antics and all around stage presence and interaction, in addition to the introduction of a wireless mic and silly littering at one point there was so much moving and chaos that the finger lighted bassist fell. Onto his back. Not to be deterred, he fought through his fall and showed his dedication by playing the rest of the song on his back. Thanks again boys for playing a fantastic set, and giving me a reason to lower my impressionability of being a lady. I’m trying, I really am… thanks.
The last band to give the crowd a reason to love local music was The Hardways. Honestly, I was so worn out from the previous band that I didn’t think I would be able to reflect my appreciation for this local band if I liked what I heard and saw, but HOLY HELL! This band rockabillied my punk ass up into another spirited session of second wind. A four piece billie band from Tempe, The Hardways throw down their country twang with a rock and roll undertone. Blending the two genres from opposite ends of the genre triangle, their instrumentals portray a musical note choreographed rock square dance. With a femme at the lead in vocals and rhythm guitar, she dons a cowboy hat that adds to the country feel, but absolutely meshes with the rock blend. Her voice provides a sassy femme country vocal that entwines perfectly with the music. The strings, reflecting a fully practiced set of country styling and a hint of a ska guitar at times, give the crowd a liveliness worthy of a hardcore barn party. They do have a variety of country songs and bring a great crowd to their shows. If you would like to check them out, you can click here and view their Facebook page. Check them out!
Check out The Hardways! They keep their facebook updated with shows, so if you get a chance, see them live. Rips is a fun place to have a beer or seven as well, so get on over and enjoy yourself! They do have a patio for you smokers out there, and seems to be just as popular a place to listen to the music as is the floor beneath the stage.
There is nothing like local, live music. Go get you some. All that’s left to say, my ever patient music eaters of the valley, support local music and shop local!
AWESOME!!! Thanks for the kind words and you can also see The Hardways' full calendar at thehardwayslive.com. There is also music, videos, and we'll soon have CDs, stickers, and t-shirts up for sale. XXOO--Gingher
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